How to properly charge a smartphone battery on Android. How to properly charge a smartphone? Useful tips for handling the battery. Storing lithium-ion batteries
When our smartphone's charge runs out, we try to refill it as quickly as possible. Everyone wants this process to happen as quickly as possible.
Today we will figure out what determines the charging speed of your phone’s battery and how to increase it.
general information
- A smartphone battery is a power element that accumulates electricity relatively quickly and then consumes it for a long time.
- The larger the battery capacity, the more energy it can store;
- It is important not to exceed the recommended voltage (4.3-5V) and current (1A or 2A). designed specifically for these indicators.
Now let's talk about the factors affecting the charging time of smartphones.
Current strength
Often a user has several chargers for Android gadgets. Many people don’t pay attention to which one came with the tablet and which one came with the smartphone. As a result, the first available power supply unit (adapter) is taken. At the same time, everyone noticed that the charging process is sometimes slower than with the “native” adapter.
This is because each device is designed for a certain amount of current (measured in amperes, denoted “A”), which comes from the charger. Usually these are 1A, 1.5A and 2A. If you charge a tablet that is designed for 2A with a charging unit of no more than 1A, then the accumulation of electricity will take 2 times longer.
Battery capacity
This indicator is measured in mAh - milliamps per hour. It is logical that the more electricity a battery can store, the longer it will take to charge it. As a rule, tablet batteries have a larger capacity than smartphones, so under the same conditions and the same current, the tablet will take longer to charge.
Using a smartphone while charging
Active operation of the gadget (viewing web pages with a high display brightness, downloading a movie, listening to music, voice communication) will significantly increase the time required to replenish the battery. It simply does not have time to accumulate a supply of electricity, as it almost immediately consumes it.
Fast charging function
Many manufacturers are introducing new technologies into smartphones that allow them to quickly charge the battery in a short period of time. These are the developments of Quick Charge (2.0, ) from Qualcomm, TurboPower from Lenovo, Pump Express from MediaTek, Adaptive Fast Charging from Samsung, Super Charge from Huawei, Super mCharge from Meizu and so on.
The general principle of their operation is that, if necessary, to quickly charge a smartphone, higher voltage and current values are used. These standards only work if you use an original adapter that supports this technology. The speed is truly impressive - an average of approximately 1500 mAh in 30 minutes.
- Use the charging adapter that came with your device. If it becomes necessary to replace it with a new one, check the characteristics of the new power supply, in particular the output voltage and current. They must match the original adapter.
- While charging, reduce your smartphone use to a minimum. Stop unnecessary processes, close unused applications (including). Alternatively, you can enable .
- Use the fast charging feature (if supported). You should not trust popular opinions regarding its harm to the battery. The developers of fast charging standards made sure that short-term high voltage and current do not harm the battery.
Correctly for its longevity, the situation with batteries needs to be clarified. The whole point is in their types. Previously, portable laptops were equipped with iron-nickel and nickel-metal hydride batteries, but now laptops and smartphones have lithium-ion batteries.
Nickel batteries have a so-called “memory effect”. The essence of this phenomenon is as follows: if you charge a battery that is 30% full, the remaining 70% is remembered by the device as “full charge,” and it is clear that the original capacity is reduced. That is why the principle of charging a nickel battery has become widely known. Chemical changes when recharging a full battery result in reduced capacity in the future.
Modern portable ones are equipped with lithium-ion batteries that do not require full recharging.
How to charge your smartphone correctly
The device requires regular charging. Do not allow your smartphone to discharge completely, to 0%. Even draining the battery to 50% is not a good option. When the charge drops by 10-20%, it is already necessary to recharge the device.
The device cannot be left on. Modern lithium-ion devices do not require constant 100% recharging. The optimal charging option is from 40 to 80%. Try to stay within these boundaries. If the battery is fully charged, 100%, then it should not be left on charge; it is precisely such actions that lead to a reduction in the service life of electronic devices.
How to charge a smartphone if this process occurs at night
To ensure that lithium-ion batteries last for years, to maximize their lifespan, it is best to purchase energy-efficient outlets. When you charge the device overnight, special sockets automatically turn off the charger after a specified amount of time.
If the phone or laptop is not of Chinese origin, then it already has a native charge controller, which, upon reaching 100%, will automatically turn off charging, and in some cases even indicate full charging with a sound signal. Naturally, such normal devices can be left online for a long time.
How to charge your smartphone to increase its service life
Once a month, but not more often, you should completely discharge the electronics, and then charge them 100%. These steps are necessary to calibrate the device. The fact is that the devices show the remaining charge in minutes or percentage; these functions can become confused with frequent small recharges, and therefore they should be adjusted monthly in this way.
It is unacceptable to allow the device to overheat, this will significantly shorten its service life. For this reason, you should not work with your laptop on your lap.
Specialists of the British online publication The Independent report that according to the latest research, systematically charging your smartphone overnight leads to a sharp deterioration in the condition of the battery. Daytime charging, limited in time, is much more gentle.
Of course, we are not talking about differences in voltage or other factors. It’s just that the device manages to fully charge overnight and “hang” on power for a few extra hours just like that.
Why does overnight charging harm your device?
Many modern smartphones require constant, daily (or even more frequent) recharging when actively used. It is convenient to increase the battery charge at night - while we are sleeping and do not need to constantly handle the phone. In general, recharging at night is quite possible, the main thing is to do it correctly.
Constant excess power from the network significantly reduces the battery's ability to retain charge, and it runs out faster and faster. With systematic overnight charging, you risk reducing the battery life without recharging to several hours of active use or standby mode. So much so that the smartphone will have to be charged both day and night.
Expert opinion and wireless charging systems
One of the gurus in the field of charger development, Hatem Zeine, who created wireless charging and founded the Ossia company, provides interesting statistics. According to him, if you leave your phone on mains power every day, your smartphone will spend about three to four months a year on charge. A third of the whole year! Of course, such a long time on power significantly degrades the battery health of any smartphone or similar device.
Ossia, by the way, has patented the technology for wireless charging of any gadgets within a radius of up to nine meters from the device. Energy is transmitted using wi-fi antennas or bluetooth channels, allowing you to power several devices in the room at once. This method is much more convenient than using cables that tie you to sockets, and more comfortable than Qi induction charging. The latter does not allow you to move long distances from the center of the device.
How to properly charge your smartphone: four simple tips
So, returning to the topic of properly charging a smartphone, it is necessary to mention that not only day or night, but time-controlled recharging will help keep the battery in excellent condition.
- The first and main rule for properly increasing the battery charge level: timely disconnection from the network. Once you are satisfied with the charge percentage, unplug the power cord and continue using your smartphone.
- Oddly enough, the second recommendation is not to charge “all the way”. You shouldn’t always strive for a 100% charge rate. Experts believe that such use degrades the battery, and quite quickly.
- The advice from the specialists of the Battery University portal is very unusual: they recommend recharging the device several times a day. This is completely contrary to the usual ideas about charging, but it works! In this case, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the device: high readings negatively affect the condition and operation of the smartphone.
- In the spirit of the previous advice, the next one is - do not reduce the charge level to zero every day. An acceptable frequency for completely discharging a battery is approximately once a month.
The conclusion is simple— do not leave your smartphone on power for a long time and do not forget to follow four simple tips from experts. Then any device will serve you longer, and its battery reserves will not be damaged in a short time.
That the battery must be completely discharged so that it does not lose its maximum capacity. Allegedly, the device “remembers” how much energy you spend before the next connection to the power grid, and in the future it can no longer contain more than this amount. This phenomenon is called the “memory effect” and is typical for old nickel batteries, but not for new lithium-ion batteries.
Moreover, complete discharge harms modern batteries, significantly reducing their service life. Below you can see a table of the relationship between Depth of discharge and the number of Discharge cycles that the device can withstand.
batteryuniversity.com
It turns out that the more the battery is discharged, the fewer cycles it can last. Battery University, an organization that researches energy storage, recommends not allowing the charge level to drop below 30%.
2. And do not abuse full charges
Users often charge batteries to 100% to maximize device autonomy. Or, in the case of laptops, they do not unplug them from the sockets for a long time. There is nothing wrong with such exploitation as long as it does not become a habit. If the charge level reaches the maximum too often, it can accelerate battery wear.
Battery University members give the following comment on this matter: “Partial charging is better than full charging.” According to their observations, the device must be disconnected from the power supply until the battery is 80% full. If we recall the recommendation from the previous paragraph, we can formulate a simple rule:
To help your battery last longer, keep it charged between 30% and 80%.
3. But once every 1-3 months, completely discharge and then charge the battery to 100%
This advice contradicts the previous two. But now we will explain everything. Laptops and smartphones on Android and iOS show the remaining battery power in percentage or minutes and hours. After a large number of incomplete cycles, this counter may lose accuracy. But after calibration, the numbers on the screen again begin to correspond to the real state of affairs. If you calibrate your battery once every 1-3 months, it will not harm it.
4. Avoid overheating the device
High temperatures negatively affect battery life. In the table below you can see the relationship between an increase in temperature (Battery temperature) and a decrease in battery capacity (Permanent capacity loss).
lifehacker.com That is why it is very important to ensure that they do not overheat.
5. Connect the device to the power supply correctly
It would seem that what could be simpler than putting the gadget on charge? But there are pitfalls here too.
For example, a damaged or counterfeit charger can damage the battery and the gadget as a whole. Not to mention the danger it poses to surrounding people. Therefore, always use only working and certified chargers from brands you trust.
Additionally, if you charge smartphones and other gadgets from your laptop via USB, this may put an unwanted strain on its battery. To avoid draining the battery in this way, make sure the laptop is plugged in and not in sleep mode.
6. Charge your gadget halfway if you plan not to use it for a long time
Let's say you're leaving home for a month or two and don't want to take all your gadgets with you. Then you need to properly prepare them for inactivity. Apple and other manufacturers recommend turning off devices in such cases, leaving about 50% charge in the battery.
How to extend the life of the battery of your smartphone, for example, Samsung on Android, or with any other OS?
Given the wide range of applications and versatility of new smartphones, especially those with the Android OS, it is not surprising that battery life has always been an issue for developers, manufacturers and users themselves.
On average, most smartphone batteries last from one to two days until they are completely depleted and require recharging.
Both power levels and battery life can be extended if managed effectively.
Without carrying a charger (there is no way to use it) or backup power, you must minimize energy consumption.
This applies equally if it is lithium polymer, lithium ion, removable or non-removable.
How to properly charge a new battery for the first time in an Android smartphone and others
First, let's look at what to do with the new battery. New batteries must be fully charged before first use to obtain maximum power.
Nickel-based batteries should charge for 16 hours when first turned on and undergo 2-4 full charge/discharge cycles, while lithium-ion (li ion) batteries take about 5-6 hours.
Avoid completely discharging lithium batteries. Unlike nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium-ion batteries decrease in life with each full charge.
Therefore, you need to charge them when the battery indicator shows one stick. Lithium-ion batteries only support a certain number of recharges.
How to extend the life of the battery in an Android smartphone or any other
Store the battery in a cool place. Of course, you can't control the weather, but you can avoid leaving your smartphone in a hot car or in direct sunlight.
Also, check the battery while charging. If it is excessively hot, the charger may be faulty.
Charge the battery correctly according to its type. Most new smartphones have lithium-ion batteries, while older ones usually have nickel batteries.
Read the label on the back of the battery or the specifications in the manual to determine the type.
Useful tips to extend the life of your smartphone battery on any OS including Android
Nickel-based batteries (nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride) typically suffer from a phenomenon known as the “memory effect.”
The “memory effect” comes from biochemical processes in the battery and in many cases is misleading to consumers.
If you partially charge a battery a large number of times, the batteries “lose memory” and do not fully control the entire charge.
Nickel-based batteries suffering from memory effect can be restored by completely discharging and then fully charging (sometimes several times).
A good rule of thumb for this type of battery is to completely discharge it once every two to three weeks.
Lithium-ion batteries can be maintained by carefully recharging them under partial load. They do not require “refurbishment”.
Regardless of battery type, only use a charger suitable for your battery and stop using a charger that causes excessive heat.
Store batteries properly. If the battery will not be used for some time, remove it from the smartphone and store it in a cool, dry place.
Lithium-ion batteries are not designed to operate in cold temperatures, so let the battery sit “out of the refrigerator” for at least one hour before using it again.
Over time, dirt can accumulate on the contacts, which reduces the efficiency of power transmission.
Clean them with a cotton swab or isopropyl alcohol. If the contacts are made of two different metals, such as gold and tin, corrosion known as "bimetallic or galvanic" occurs.
Solvents such as acetone are then often required to clean up such contact corrosion.
Be careful: this solvent dissolves plastic, so use a Q-Tip to avoid damaging the battery case or the smartphone itself. Good luck.